


Slightly different story

by gitrebasei



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:42:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29084814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gitrebasei/pseuds/gitrebasei
Summary: Translated with Deepl and then some manual adjustments applied, so I am sorry for the quality of the language. It is nothing polished, elaborated, just some ideas, plot points and conversations. So I guess not very entertaining story, read if you are interested in some new ideas for different/better TROS.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

8 months after Crait

After two months of wandering, they found a permanent base. Some of the resources and forces that were not part of the main grouping before Crait joined them. The group of survivors slightly enlarged. The painstaking process of rebuilding began. For Rey, everything was completely new. First, the friendship and care received from others. She spent a lot of time with Finn, talking about the past and the future. They had a lot in common and understood each other perfectly. In sparring matches, they practiced their fighting or shooting skills together. She met Rose and quickly took a liking to the talented mechanic. As Rose recovered, they worked together to repair the myriad of malfunctions in ships, fighters, or inside the base. She admired Rose's knowledge of the social and economic relations of many systems and learned a lot from her. She also learned from her the rules of the rebel base, the rules of camaraderie, cooperation, and the mechanics of gossip or romance. On some evenings she joined groups reminiscing about their home planets, playing cards, joking, or planning future operations. She also participated in resupply and reconnaissance missions, during which she became better acquainted and friendly with Poe Dameron.

However, there were also hard times. Especially when she thought about her destiny, her calling, being... well, who exactly should she be, who is she? A Jedi? One of those about whom Luke spoke so bitterly and with such reluctance? Did she have an alternative though? The old volumes Rey had brought back from Ahch-to were, to put it mildly, difficult to decipher. They contained fragments of knowledge, sometimes went into great detail about various topics, but she could not extract from them a coherent philosophy, find a goal to pursue. She was glad that, with the guidance of one of the books and, surprisingly, help from Leia, she had been able to put together the broken parts of the crystal from Luke's old saber. Recreating the mechanisms and casing. Unfortunately, the saber was not as stable as it used to be. From time to time, a thin red trickle appeared in it. Sometimes it reminded her of a tear. Its vibrations, on the other hand, reminded her of another massive sword she had held for a few seconds during a memorable day.

There were also moments of frustration. When at night, almost until dawn, she was trying to understand the message of the old Jedi books, and the passing hours brought only anxiety and a feeling of chaos. Her thoughts then involuntarily flowed many times to the one person who probably had the knowledge and skills to help her. In such moments she angrily recalled the night when she had pulled the old volumes from inside the tree. The moment when she had hoped, even been assured, that she would not be alone when she opened the books. She felt her anger rise as she remembered that feeling and that one moment when she thought things would be different. It was anger at her naivety and his stubbornness, his selfishness, his desire for control.

\---

This night was one of those tedious nights, stretching on for countless hours. Rey once again tried to make sense of the short but riddle-filled text. To no avail. "Things could have worked out differently." - a thought involuntarily flowed in. "We would be sitting together now, shoulder to shoulder, with our eyes sunk into the text. Perhaps I would lift my gaze and notice a raven-black strand falling over his eyes. I could brush it aside a bit and then he would smile slightly at me..." Suddenly Rey realized with horror where her thoughts had wandered. With even more trepidation, she discovered that she could hear a familiar hum as if all other sounds were sucking from her surroundings. It meant only one thing, the force bond would open again and in seconds they would meet again.

….

Long hours must have passed after the battle for Crait, perhaps it had even been several dozen when Kylo Ren allowed himself a brief respite. Only then did he fully realize what had happened. He was the Supreme Leader. He had military and political experience, and he wanted to break with the past and bring a new and better order to at least part, if not most of the Galaxy. He had spent many years of his life in First Order life and knew firsthand the mechanisms of power, influence, and victory. He knew he wanted to achieve something new. To reject the mistakes of the past. He had ideas and plans. He had to win the loyalty of the soldiers and some of the officers, create allies among the numerous structures inside and outside the First Order. The loyalty of the soldiers was a matter of great importance for him. He knew that he was seen by them as someone from outside the structure - explosive, but not cruel. That was why Kylo spent a lot of his time developing a new training program and visiting countless bases and training centers. He knew that some of the senior officers would be looking for the first opportunity to stage a coup. So he tried to create an advantage for him as quickly as possible. He knew that carrying out all these plans would not be easy, but for the first time in years his will, his thoughts, and his future belonged to him.

Some days, however, were more difficult than others. Full of pressing, seemingly impossible decisions. There were planets and systems full of warring forces: cartels, politicians, local rebels. If he wanted to impose the power of the First Order and his rules there, he had to spend hours poring over intelligence information and the conflicting advice of advisors.

There was also one thing he felt like a constant splinter in his heart, sometimes slightly stinging, other times drilling deep into his flesh.

It turned out that some of the Supremacy recordings had survived. He managed to get a recording from the throne room. He tried to destroy the traces of the recording being taken as well as any shreds of evidence. He wondered if anyone else had been able to get to the recordings earlier and if there would be consequences for him. The recordings were largely destroyed or unreadable, but one key moment was visible. The moment in which he was unconscious, while Rey could be seen standing over him, with his lightsaber in her hand. After a moment, she knelt down, placed the sword right next to him, and you could see her lips moving. She quickly stood up and disappeared from the frame. He replayed the video dozens, maybe hundreds of times. He wondered why she didn't kill him, and most of all what she said. "I hate you." - came often to his mind. "I don't want to get my hands dirty killing you." In dozens of variations. The recording wasn't very clear, it wasn't that easy to read facial expressions. Occasionally other thoughts broke through. He tried to suppress them in seed, not to fall into the trap of false hope. Sometimes, though, it seemed to him like Rey said something similar to: "I care about you."

\---

This night he was once again trying to make a decision on the Seron 8P9 sector - an important part of the ore supply, full of warring forces and politicians. Alone in his quarters, he spent the last several hours trying to identify the best course of action. To no avail. At one point an unwanted thought came over him, "It could have been different." His tired brain stopped controlling the incoming images. "Rey, sitting right next to him, with his hair casually down on his shoulders, reading attentively a pad full of intelligence reports. Perhaps under the influence of his gaze, she would raise her head and ask with a slight smile if he had come up with a new idea to resolve the situation." Suddenly Kylo noticed how far he had slipped into unrealistic dreams and simultaneously he heard a familiar noise.

\---

She appeared a few feet away from him. She sat slightly hunched over with her hair loose. In her lap, she held a strange object, which he identified with surprise as a physical book, no doubt very old. She did not move in any way, though he knew she must be aware of the activation of their bond.

After a minute the silence became so heavy that he somehow involuntarily uttered the first incoming thought:  
\- "It is an ancient paper book. Where did you get it? What is it?"  
Rey perceived that she held in her hands a volume that could be seen through the force bond. She threw it behind her.  
\- "You shouldn't care, and. Get busy bringing your new order to the Galaxy, that's all you care about." - she said, still angry at her naivety and the uncontrollable dreams that may have triggered the bond.

Her words were meant to hurt and they didn't miss.

\- "You think it's easy for me? That it's easy to find the balance between power, diplomacy, or economic influence on my own? That it's so easy to find the right solutions for thousands of different arrangements, differing in practically everything. I used to think..." - he paused his tirade for a moment and lowered his head shaking in disbelief.  
\- "I briefly thought it would be different." - he looked at her again, not taking his eyes off her. - "I knew you would come for me at Supremacy. I saw you by my side." - He couldn't hold in his grief any longer and his words flowed uncontrollably.   
"For a moment, I thought things would be different, that we wouldn't be alone anymore. You would know better than me what to do in certain difficult situations. I thought that we would support each other, and no one would ever again push us around, use our strength for their own purposes or torture us."  
He lowered his head, unable to look any longer at her tightened lips and face from which the anger had not disappeared.  
\- "I was a fool," he whispered barely audibly.

Although Rey initially didn't intend to have any conversation and wait for the call to end, her anger took over the resolve.

\- "You think you're the only one who has problems, that this situation is easy for me!?" - she exploded - "I was naive too, naive as a child. For a while, I thought you'd help me see sense in all this. I imagined that together we would read Jedi books that I had just .. stolen. That you would be on my side! How wrong I was!" - She turned her back.

Seconds of silence passed. He knew the force bond could end at any moment. It had already lasted longer than the previous ones, and they had no control over it. He knew this could be the last moment to ask the question that had kept him guessing for months. He had to know, he couldn't bear another month of wondering. He walked a few steps toward Rey.  
\- "Rey, I need to know." - he began - "I need to know. On the Supremacy, in the throne room, you could have killed me. You woke up first, you had my saber. Why didn't you do it?" - he whispered.  
Rey turned but didn't raise her head. She sighed, apparently her anger gone.  
\- "The Force isn't finished with you yet." she replied quietly.  
\- "The Force?" - He repeated - "And you? Are you finished with me?"  
She raised her head and looked into his eyes. At that moment a noise began to fill the ears of both of them. The bond was closing. Nevertheless, he heard her quiet but clear voice.  
\- "No, I'm not."


	2. Chapter 1

The meeting on priorities in stormtrooper training was entering its third hour. Around a long black table that reflected the long, parallel lines of ceiling lighting sat senior ground force officers. At one head of the table sat a stiffly erect General Hux. His impeccably pressed uniform formed symmetrical planes drawing his slim figure. On the other side, the heavy coat and black hair of the Supreme Leader of the First Order formed a dark, contrasting stain. Under normal circumstances, this would be a meeting to which Kylo Ren would pay maximum attention. The stormtrooper training program was a matter of keen interest to him. He had been frustrated by their lack of combat skills for many years now. At key moments of missions, they too often missed, allowed themselves to be eliminated by the enemy, in brief, too often they were simply useless. So for months, he had been trying, in consultation with his advisors, to identify weaknesses in training and prepare troops that would show greater intelligence and the ability to make independent, quick, and accurate decisions. Today, however, an indefinable uneasiness occupied his thoughts. He felt as if danger was approaching from all sides. Although he was participating in a standard meeting in the center of his best equipped and protected command center, he felt an inadequate level of adrenaline coursing through his body. Suddenly his ears were filled with a noise that muffled all other sounds, and then silence fell. The silence lasted only a few seconds, however. Suddenly he heard a shout, her scream, and then a bang and Rey fell from somewhere near the ceiling with a loud crash. She groaned as she fell, and he realized with horror that he heard what looked like the sound of bones cracking. She held a blaster in her right hand, which she fired several times somewhere up in the air, and then the blaster slowly fell out of her hand. Her head settled back and she became motionless, her eyes closed.

Kylo looked around in disbelief at the people gathered around the conference table. They were all staring at him. Most with their eyes wide open, some with their mouths open. All with expressions of utmost surprise or horror. Kylo woke up.

-"Get out!" - he shouted - "We're done here! Leave me alone!"

\- "But Supreme Leader, we were still supposed to discuss..." - the officer sitting to his right didn't finish his sentence as Kylo grabbed and threw him towards the door.

Crowding behind him, the other officers and attendees of the meeting hurried in, casting glances behind them full of disbelief. As soon as the door closed behind the last one, Kylo ran to the door in a few leaps, entered the locking code. With the Force he destroyed the three cameras placed on the walls. They broke with a silent crack and a sheaf of sparks. Kylo rushed to where Rey lay and knelt beside her. He was horrified to see that there was a large blaster wound on her right side. A strong trickle of blood flowed from it, little by little reddening her white shirt and creating a large stain on the floor. He put his hand under her head and lifted it slightly while whispering in a voice hoarse with emotion:

-"Rey."

She must have heard because she opened her eyes. Dark, hazel eyes in which a sparkle flashed. A small smile appeared on her lips.

-"You," she replied in a weak voice.

-"Rey, what happened? Where are you? Rey, what's going on? - Kylo threw out his questions while looking at the growing pool of blood.

-"Ben." - she whispered.

He trembled at the sound of that name. When was the last time she called him that? He tore off a loose piece of fabric that Rey wore on top of her outfit and tried to stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound with his hands. Rey groaned.

-"Ben, it's too serious, stop. Please listen carefully," she said louder, but with obvious difficulty.

-"Look." She struggled to open the small bag attached to her belt and took out an object wrapped in a dark cloth. She pushed back the fabric, and a pyramid-shaped object slid out from underneath it. Its planes were smooth and transparent, but many green and yellow dots glowed in the center, and lines incessantly formed and faded between them.

\- "It's Wayfinder." - she said.

\- "I know, I was also looking for it." - he answered.

\- "So you know that something evil is beginning to form, perhaps born anew in the Galaxy. Darkness is growing, old or new. I'm sure you sensed it too." - she looked into his dark eyes.

\- "The cultists have discovered what I took from them. There were too many of them. You will find my body on Mustafar, fifteen degrees of north deflection, 260 miles from Vader's former castle, inside some rock formation."

\- "No, Rey! - he interrupted her - "That's not going to happen, you can't..." - his voice caught in his throat.

He lowered his head to take a breath and suppress his tears, then looked at her again.

\- "Rey, I'm coming for you, just..."

\- "Ben" - Rey interrupted his feverish words - "It's too late. But now you are the main hope for the Galaxy. I know that. There is so much light in you, though you don't know it yourself. You will not let evil destroy the current and future generations." - She spoke with increasing effort, and her eyes closed again.

\- "Rey, no." - he lifted her body a little higher and brought her closer to him

\- "Rey, please don't, you can't..." - he was afraid to say the dreaded word. Rey struggled to open her eyes.

\- "You didn't lie to me." - she whispered - "You never lied to me."

\- "What are you talking about?"

\- "You said I wasn't alone. It is true. I'm not alone, in the last minutes of my life." - She smiled with extreme tiredness, and then closed her eyes.

-"Rey, no, please! You can't..."

His senses were filled with darkness, black despair coating him like tar. He used the Force to check her signature. She barely pulsed, her figure growing weaker, more and more blurred. He laid her inert body on the ground. "There has to be something, a way to solve her. It can't all end like this!" - he thought despairingly, searching through possible ways. Blood continued to flow from the wound in her side. Suddenly he remembered snapshots of the conversation.

_A day thrown beyond memory, unwanted times, buried under a layer of anger and hatred. A boy, maybe thirteen, slim, tall, with a storm of curls. Next to Luke, young, upright, focused. Around them a rocky beach stretched to the horizon and a calm ocean. "Master, we can manipulate objects, influence minds with the Force. And healing? Is healing possible? Can we heal someone from a fatal wound or disease? - asks the boy. "None of my masters mentioned it, and I didn't ask." They walk along the shore in silence for a while. "However, some time ago, an old Jedi text fell into my hands, difficult to decipher and properly understand. However, it seems that there is such a thing as force healing, the light side of the power." The boy looks at his master with curiosity. "Do you know anything more master Luke? Please tell me." "Every life exists because there is the life force inside it. The manuscript suggests that one can transfer one's life force, transport it somehow through the light side of the Force. The reference at the end of the text suggests that this is a difficult and dangerous thing to do." "Have you tried healing through power, Master?" Luke, stops and looks out to sea. "I have tried," he sights and replies after a moment. "To no results"_

_I can give you my life force Rey because you can't die._ Kylo still kneeling in front of the inert Rey put one hand on her stomach. With his eyes closed, he desperately tried to calm down his breath and focus. Abruptly, with a shudder of terror, he remembered the words of his former master: _only the light side of the Force can heal, the dark only takes away._ " _There is no light inside me._ " came the thought. _There isn't enough light in me to help Rey_. But then Rey's words from seconds ago ran through his head: "There is so much light in you..." He tried to wrap the life force he recognized in himself in that bit of light that always lived somewhere on the edge of his consciousness. _Please, please, heal her_. - he pleaded desperately in his mind, not knowing who he was begging. Perhaps it was the Force, the light side of it, or just its essence? He had spent years trying to destroy and uproot the light in him, years on fighting to not let it take away his strength and the goals he had set for himself. " _Rey, take this, you have to live, please._ " - he whispered. He felt the energy swirling under his hand, so he tried to push it as hard as he could into Rey, inside her body, and into her power signature. He tried to gather more of his life force than before and quickly push hard until the possibility of transfer was exhausted. He concentrated only on that, only partially registering the fact that his breathing was getting heavier. At the same time, he felt his body and head becoming heavy. He had to prop himself up with his left arm to keep from falling right next to Rey.

Suddenly he felt something warm, her hand catching his right arm and pulling it away.

-"Ben." - he heard Rey's voice - "You can't give me everything."

-"I can." - He replied and opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was Rey's eyes, open wide, full of something indefinable, certainly admiration, but more than that. He looked at the wound. He could see once white, but now burned and bloody material around the gunshot site, but in the middle, healthy, ordinary skin stood out.

-"How did you do that? And why did you want to give me everything, all your life force!" - she said with wonder rising a little on her elbows.

 _I couldn't live without you!_ \- he realized, shocked by the sudden clarity of this thought, but he did not voice it aloud.

\- "Rey" - he did not answer her question. "Wait for me, I will come for you." - he was barely able to catch his breath and speak.

He looked intently at Rey noticing the unnaturally twisted ankle and the bulge across her chest.

-"You probably have a broken rib, there is something wrong with your ankle. Wait for me, please. It should take me up to five standard hours. I'll come for you, I promise."

-"I know you'll come." - she replied quietly and disappeared from his sight.


	3. Chapter 3

He tried to get up from the floor. He had to grab the back of the chair to keep from falling. A question ran through his mind: Can the life force be rebuilt? In what way? Through meditation, or would it increase with time to its usual state? However, he quickly pushed these thoughts aside. He took a few deep breaths, straightened up, and punched the communicator. "Nearest med bay." - he growled the command. After a moment he connected with the hangar giving the command to prepare a two-man fighter. He walked to the door with a slightly wobbly step. He took a few more breaths and walked out into the hallway.

As he stood in the doorway of the standard med bay unit the personnel in the first room and the stormtroopers waiting for a routine check froze motionlessly. 

\- "I want to speak to the unit commander. Now!" - Kylo threw into space. He looked around the large, white room. The Stormtroopers who were closest to the door were slyly trying to leave the room. A few people in medical staff uniforms hastily disappeared into further rooms. After a moment, a tall gray-haired woman emerged from behind a transparent door with a quick step.   
"Sir, I am Commander Elsen, the commander of this unit. I am awaiting your orders." - Her gaze stopped on the Supreme Leader's face, and a look of surprise appeared in her eyes.   
\- "Sir, are you injured? You look... Let me examine you."  
\- "No"-Kylo interrupted her hectic questions-"I'm not injured, I need..."  
\- "I'm sorry sir, but you really look like you can barely stay on your feet." - again she gathered the courage to interrupt him.  
\- "No, listen." - Kylo took a deep breath trying to gather his strength. He did indeed feel like he was about to fall. "I need to focus, I should be flying now." - he thought.  
\- "I need a stabilizer for the cracked lower rib and an ankle stabilizer."  
\- "Sir, I don't think you..." - commander Elsen began.  
\- "Not for me I need them for..." - he stammered - "For a woman. She reaches my chin in height, she is slim but strong." - he felt himself suddenly blushing.  
\- "Of course, I'll bring the right size right away." - replied the doctor. - "Sir are you sure you don't need a booster shot or multidrinks. For yourself, or for your wounded?" - She asked. He could sense the fear in her voice.  
\- "Actually..." - he pondered - "Actually yes, I will need them." - he replied.  
\- "Yes sir, I'll be right back."

Indeed not much time had passed when she stood before him again. She handed him a small medical bag. Kylo held out his hand intending to erase all memories of his visit from Elsen's mind.  
-" Now forget that..." he began.  
\- "Sir," she interrupted him, "I am loyal to you. I will not betray you or tell anyone about our conversation."  
Kylo looked at her for a brief moment.  
\- "Good"-he replied, surprising even himself. - "Forget I was here." - He chuckled and with a quick step walked out into the corridor and headed towards the hangar.

\---

Rey breathed deeply as the force bond closed in. She was not fully able to comprehend and analyze what had just happened. She felt weak, her head seemed heavy and her thoughts were fragmented and tangled, her ankle and left side ached. But at the same time, she felt a strong and stable lifeforce inside her. She touched the object that almost cost her her life. She was so close to escaping. She managed to land unnoticed and hide the Falcon. She found the Wayfinder's hiding place and using the help of the Force and her scavenger experience, she stole the artifact. The trouble began on her way back. She thought she had managed to break out of the encirclement and neutralize those pursuing her. She fell into a trap. As she fled through the rocky labyrinth, in an act of desperation, she sensed a cave opening beneath the surface and used her powers to punch a hole through which she would disappear. But it was too late. She knew she had killed the two cultists pursuing her, but she had been seriously shot and was unable to cushion her fall. Then something happened that she did not expect. In all honesty however, when she felt the familiar sensation of the bond opening, she thought that the power was working precisely. Though she herself would die hope would not yet be completely lost. However, what happened next... She couldn't explain to herself how it was possible. Every now and then, one thought came back to her, crowding out all others: Ben, you were willing to give your life for me.

He landed on Mustafar. He was finally relieved to sense her presence, her power signature. She was somewhere below ground level and after a moment he found an opening leading deep into the ground. Once inside after a few seconds, his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness and he spotted her silhouette.  
\- "Hello Ben," she said quietly.  
He took a few steps toward her and knelt beside her. He didn't know what to do, all thoughts were replaced by a mixture of emotions, great relief, joy, and fear.  
\- "Rey," he whispered.  
He touched her hand and at the same moment, he thought it was too much, too soon. He felt warmth, but also a strange tingling as if power flowed freely between them.   
\- "I have stabilizers for your leg and ribs." - he didn't know what to say, he felt too many emotions swirling inside him. He decided to focus on action. He did not, however, withdraw his hand. He felt Rey's other hand cover his own.  
\- "Thank you." - She said. - "You were willing to give me everything. And there was so much light in you! Why..., why did you do this for me?"  
\- "Let's leave it"-he interrupted her-"I don't want to..." - he stammered-"I don't want to talk about it. Can I bandage your ankle?"

He removed her shoe and rolled up his pants. When activated, the stabilizer clamped down on her ankle with a slight hiss. Rey groaned.  
\- "You should be able to stop the pain quickly and walk again. The stabilizer should keep your ankle in the right position and speed up healing."  
\- "Thank you." - She said.  
"Now the rib. I think you need to..." - Kylo felt himself starting to turn red. He was relieved to think that, fortunately, the cave was quite dark and Rey couldn't see the details of his face. On the other hand, he wasn't sure she couldn't sense his emotions.   
\- "I think you need to pull your top up a bit." - he muttered.  
\- "Ah, ok, fine." - she began to lift the garment, wincing slightly in pain.  
\- "That's probably enough." - he took out the stabilizer and tried to get the best fit possible. Every time he touched her skin he felt a slight shiver. He had never imagined that something like this could be possible.   
\- "Did you cloak your ship before entering the atmosphere?" - Rey asked.  
\- "What?" - her voice brought him back to the realization of where they were. - "No, I didn't have time. I landed pretty close. The stabilizers are ready, so we can probably get out and escape this one..."  
\- "Probably your ship turned into molten metal scrap." - she replied.  
Rey tried to get up. Moving caused her only minor pain.  
\- "I'm not leaving Falcon here." - she stated firmly looking at him.  
\- "You flew the Falcon? Without a co-pilot? This is not a single pilot ship.  
"I've made some improvements." - She said looking away. Besides, we don't have unlimited choices as some people do."  
\- "Rey! - He gently held her elbow. - "Why did you come alone?"  
\- "It's a one-man mission."  
\- "My mother knows?  
\- "Partly." - she answered evasively.- "Now is not the time for such a conversation, we must run."  
They surfaced and hid in the shadow of a large boulder. Almost at the same moment, they heard ships approaching and the sound of gunfire. After walking a few hundred yards they spotted the black bulk of a Supreme Order ship.  
\- "Ben." - Rey pulled on his arm - "What do we do now? I can't fly with you." - She looked at him. Before he could say anything they heard a bang and saw a pillar of flame as the black fighter was hit.  
-Well, problem partially solved." - chuckled Rey - "You're flying with me."  
Under the cover of the rocks, trying to blend in with the rocky landscape around them, they managed to reach the ship's hiding place. They entered the cockpit. 

\- "They are still patrolling the area. The Falcon's shields can't take more than one shot. We will be entering hyperspace from the atmosphere." - Rey began to prepare the launch sequence. - "Watch the accelerator."  
\- "This is insanity!" - Ben couldn't believe his ears.-"That piece of junk can't hold it."  
\- "It will." - chuckled Rey.  
\- "Are you sure, you've taken off like this before?"  
\- "Not as a pilot. But I've seen a launch like that."  
\- "Who could be that crazy?"  
Rey threw him a meaningful look. He looked away.

\- "Ready?" - Rey gave him one last look - "So, we're leaving."  
The engines roared and they emerged from hiding. After a dozen or so secs the first fighter looking for them moved towards them, after another few they got their first shot.  
\- "Let's jump!" - shouted Rey and in that instant, they were surrounded by merging white lines of light. They jumped into hyperspace.

\---

\- "We have an hour," - said Rey after an extended moment of silence - "I programmed a jump to the nearest safe location. We need to talk about what to do next."  
\- "Give me Wayfinder."- he said.  
\- "Why, no way, I found it. What do you want to do with it."  
\- "Check where it leads."- after a moment he added - "No, I don't intend to serve another master. I want to see what is being born on the edge of the Galaxy. I will not let you go alone."  
\- "I'll do what I want." - indignantly replied Rey - "But no, I'm not going to do it alone. We're going to do this together."  
He looked at her intensely, with a glint in his eye.  
\- "What does that mean?"  
\- "First, I want to check the latest intelligence from the Resistance, and I also need to tell Leia."  
\- "No, don't mention me to her... about us." - he responded vehemently.  
\- "She's my General. And your mother."   
There was silence.  
\- "I know you don't want the Galaxy ruled by another tyrant and let him abuse our generation again. We know that you are trying to bring about a different, new order, that you have supporters and loyal subordinates. But also, not all your officers and outside forces share your plans."  
\- "How do you know that?" he chuckled sharply.  
\- "We have our sources," Rey shrugged her with a mild smile.  
He was silent for a moment, processing information and possible courses of action. Finally, he said:  
-Well, we'll work together. You will drop me off at the nearest First Order base. I will give you my fleet captain codes. With them, you will return safely...to the Resistance. We will find a way to reach each other and we will figure it out together."

\---

They landed quite a distance from the base. Rey stood on the Falcon's ramp watching Ben Solo slowly, step by step, move away. "I can't turn around."- he thought, remembering her silhouette and concerned face. "If I look at her again I will stay with her, whatever that means" Suddenly he heard Rey call out "Ben!" He stopped but did not turn around immediately. He counted three breaths and when he turned Rey was almost beside him. She took a few more steps so that they were standing mere inches apart. She looked up at him, raising her head slightly.   
\- "I think, actually I have a bad....- he thought, remembering her silhouette and concerned face. "If I look at her again I will stay with her, whatever that means" Suddenly he heard Rey call out "Ben!" He stopped but did not turn around immediately. He counted three breaths and when he turned Rey was almost beside him. She took a few more steps so that they were standing mere inches apart. She looked up at him, raising her head slightly.   
\- "I think, actually I have it wrong.... feeling"- she said, shaking her head slightly. He stared at her intently.   
\- "I'm worried about you. You know that not everyone in First Order is loyal to you."  
\- "I know what the situation is. I can handle it." - he replied, still not taking his eyes off her.  
\- "Okay."- she replied and quickly moved closer. Suddenly he felt her lips on his. They were soft, warm, and barely pressed against his. Before two or three seconds had passed and he had time to react in any way Rey turned and with a quick step headed for Falcon without turning to face him again. For several minutes he watched as the ship took off and rose into the atmosphere, as it dwindled and became a mere black dot in the sky and finally disappeared. Only then did he turn back toward the base.

\---

When she arrived at the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss it was deep night. There was only a half-asleep sentry in the hangar. However, despite the late hour, the conversation with Leia could not be put off. "I have to tell what happened, Leia has to know." - she thought. As she stepped outside the building she spotted an undersized figure wrapped in a dark cloak.  
\- "Leia," - she exclaimed happily, - "I meant - General," she corrected herself, - "How did you know when I was coming?" - Rey asked in surprise.  
\- "Let's just say I had a feeling," a slight smile appeared on Leia's face, but it was immediately replaced by seriousness.  
\- "Rey, what happened? It was supposed to be a simple scouting mission, and I felt..." - she paused - - "I felt like you were in great danger like you were..."   
\- "Like I was dying?" - finished Rey.  
The General stared with concerned eyes at Rey.  
\- "Leia I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. My goal was to find this." - She pulled the mysterious device from her bag and unwound it from the cloth. Contact with the smooth surface made her feel a dark side that seemed to want to crawl inside her.  
\- "Wayfinder," Leia whispered.  
\- "When I captured it and tried to escape Mustafar I was wounded, mortally wounded. Then the Force decided to intervene and reunited me...with Ben." - She confessed breaking eye contact with Leia.  
\- "Leia, he saved me. He was willing to sacrifice his life for me. Though in the end, it didn't happen that way." - She added quickly and looked at the General.  
The older woman's face showed a range of emotions - uncertainty, old pain, but also joy and perhaps hope.  
\- "We will fight the oncoming storm together."  
\- "Thank you, Rey, thank you for everything, for believing that no one is completely lost." - said, Leia.-"Now rest, sleep. Give me the Wayfinder. I can feel it emanating the dark side of power. You'll sleep better without it."

\---

The banging on the door of her quarters woke her up.   
\- "Rey, Rey, wake up, something important has happened."- Finn's voice came from behind the door. Rey sat up on the bed and shaking her head tried to shake off the rest of her sleep. She looked at her terminal. She had slept for over twelve hours.  
\- "Finn, wait I'm coming"- she shouted and walked to the door. She swung it open and an agitated friend appeared in front of her eyes.  
\- "What happened'?" - she asked and at the same time felt her anxiety resurface and a strange, icy grip was beginning to grip her heart.  
\- "There was a coup in the First Order. Officers who claim to want to resurrect the Sith Empire have taken power, and Emperor Palpatine is about to take over... Kylo Ren is to be publicly executed."


End file.
